Boston Beer: A History of Brewing in the Hub

Recounts Boston's long and storied history with beer—including the story of how the Green Dragon Tavern became the birthplace of the Revolutionary War. — Pulse

Since before Patriots like Paul Revere and Sam Adams fermented a revolution in smoky Beantown taverns, beer has been integral to the history of Boston. The city issued its first brewing license in 1630, and breweries like Haffenreffer Brewery and American Brewing Company quickly sprung up. This heady history took a turn for the worse when the American Temperance Movement championed prohibition, nearly wiping out all of the local breweries. In 1984, the amber liquid was revitalized as Jim Koch introduced Samuel Adams craft brews to the Hub and the nation. Shortly after, Harpoon Brewery emerged and became the largest brewery to make all its beers in New England. From the planning of the Boston Tea Party over a pint at Green Dragon Tavern to the renaissance of the burgeoning craft brewing scene, join author and Beer Nut Norman Miller as he savors the sudsy history of brewing in the Hub.

Boston Beer 's strengths lie in the interviews and attention to detail about the last few decades of Boston brewing, and those interested in the behind the scene stories of Boston's craft beer innovators will enjoy this read. —Malcolm Purinton, Yankee Brew News

A brief but interesting history of brewing in Boston from Colonial times through Trillium. — Two-Column Barley

Miller's Boston Beer focuses on the city itself. His story begins with the role tavern life in general, and beer in particular, played in the unfolding drama of the American Revolution on the streets of Boston. — Boston Herald